Friday, February 26, 2010

I spent the other day cutting fabric with pinking shears until my right hand resembled a claw.

Just because of this beautiful book - click on the photo for details. With two birthday parties coming up (one being the crafting party and the other medieval themed), I feel reams of bunting is a glorious necessity. The boys agree and have been so excited watching the bunting fall away from the sewing machine metre by metre. I cut the triangles according to directions from the 'Homemade' book, 22cm wide by 22cm deep and the joined them with biased binding. So easy!!!

Here is a little bit of Heather Ross. I love her designs so much. Especially the unicorn pattern which I have bought to cover the cushions on a chair. - I'll show you another day.

Here are some prizes I have been crocheting (and I will include a tutorial for the miffy-esque bunny necklaces another day). I haven't been able to even start on the mouse tutorial this week - I have been trapped in a sweaty forest of scratchy, sticky, events and horrible colds so my thinker just has not been thinkering along those lines.

A final photo from the 'Homemade' book. Pin the egg to the chook. Definitely something that will be played at Hugo's party. That way they can decorate their own egg as a craft project. I had better find an old sheet over the weekend and start painting.

Today however, I am on bed rest with that nasty cold I referred to earlier. The sun is streaming through the french doors and the house is quiet. A very good day to recover.xxxoooxxx.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Hugo was invited to a fairy party the other day and as he is only three and a lot, I was allowed to come too!!!! The birthday girl had pink, feathery wings. That's like a dream. Look at how rich the colour is too - the perfect pink. And a cupcake tower for heaven's sake. Wings just didn't exist back in my day, I had to make do with awkwardly flapping my arms while holding onto sticks. I think I know what I would like for Christmas.

Stars in heaven it makes me want to adopt a little girl but then I start to think... maybe it would just be easier if I had a fairy birthday party for myself. And here is the birthday boy himself, Peter Pan. I made the costume for Archie when he was still at pre-school and going through a major Peter Pan stage. He only took it off when he had the occasional moment of being King Arthur. So now it is Hugo's turn and what better outfit for a boy to wear to a fairy party. You can just see the eye makeup he was wearing (thanks to the birthday girl's amazingly talented mum). Glam rock really seems to suit him, I might encourage it.Today is my first day since last year (at least that is what it feels like), to spend a day making stuff. I will be sewing bunting all day in preparation for the boy's birthday parties which are hurtling towards me with alarming speed. They probably don't feel it's quite as important as I do but that's okay. If they are not having fairy parties, they can at least have bunting.... just for their mother's sake.

Monday, February 22, 2010

The sewing machine was out this weekend, however, there was no fabric insight. Instead it was zooming along cardboard and fancy paper, assembling Hugo's birthday invitations.

He was actually only born last week so I am not entirely sure how this happened. The whole walking, talking and aging thing. I am so very sure he is still my baby. Hugo is the ultimate obsessed crafter and can't pass a feather without inventing some new and creative use for it. What else to do for him but throw a super-duper-whizz-bang crafting party. Do you like his little bunny rabbit drawing? Every time I look at it an "Awwww" sound escapes from me.So now I am on to crocheting little creatures for prizes (which will be shown at a later date) and making pom-pom necklaces as I watch T.V. at night. A little bit of time will be going into the preparation but wahoo, hardly any money.Hope you had a good weekend. xxooxxooxx.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Well, it has been one of those incredibly busy weeks that seem to crop up every now and then. Archie had his school boat day where they sail, kayak and fish all day (with lots of fun in the build up) and I started something new. I am kind of a bit embarrassed but I figure it is worth being honest about my recent activities because you never know, someone else out there may be in a similar position...

I am going to whisper it; "I started Weight Watchers on Tuesday". I hope no one overheard as it feels like such an odd thing for an adamant non-dieter to admit to. The problem is however, that I have put on a lot of weight in a short time and I don't feel healthy or even slightly fit. I am worried that if I don't act now and reassess my changing metabolism, my weight will continue to spiral and I really don't want to keep buying new clothes every few months to catch up.

So far so good. Lots of point counting but I don't seem to be missing out on good food at all. It has also been beneficial to be reminded that baking is really not as important a food group as I my head would tell me.

So there is my week's confession. Oh yes and I went to aqua aerobics the other night which turned out to be much better than I was expecting (so supportive too). Aside from that I have been busy finishing my mouse necklace which was given to the birthday girl this morning. I will start thinking about tutorials next week. Have a good weekend, xxooxxooxx.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

These little mousies scurried out of my hands this weekend and are soon to be followed by more. A little friend of Hugo is turning 4 this week so we thought a necklace of crocheted flowers and mice would be a good thing for her. Hopefully she doesn't have a phobia. It's not as though they are spiders, rats or snakes... or feet resting on newspaper (uugghhh).

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Well, it's lovely to be back again... although I haven't actually been anywhere. The computer has. It came down with a horrible virus last week and ended up going to Jonno's brother's house for surgery and recuperation. Thank goodness Jonno decided to be born into the family of a computer genius type person. So for a week we were computer-free which was fine to begin with, even slightly liberating. However, after a few days it became slightly isolating (remember we are on a farm) and then extremely frustrating.

The thing I love about having a blog is that it makes me join up the dots between all of the best and most creative bits in a day. The patterns those dots make then glow when I think about all that has happened which is a really positive way to wind down. The strange thing about the last week was that it was not only the computer that had a nervous breakdown, but also the d.v.d. player and my camera as well. It has been very hard not to join these dots together into a dull murky picture.

So, a lot of deep breathing has been going on and constant reminding that outer circumstances do not dictate inner peace - lots and lots of reminding. In tune to the clicking of needles. Archie's jumper now just needs lots of tail tucking and then I will have a big photo session with him. Thanks for still looking at the blog while I have been out of action, it is so exciting to be back. Have a good weekend!!!!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

A little boat on a wide and floral ocean. Behind the scenes - not too bad.

Ship-wrecked on coral.

Hanging out at port.

A bit of rigging.

My biggest work-in-progress being Archie's jumper.

I would love to write a long, interesting and spectacularly funny post tonight but I think I am a bit sapped from the relentless humidity that seems to be tugging grass from the soil to the sky as we speak. Jonno is very happy to have grass growing for his cows at a time of year where paddocks are often brown. And I am too, however, having grown up in a country with dry heat, I find breathing in saturated air a little difficult. I hope I haven't caught myself complaining because this little bit of grass growth is amazing.

Have a nice night. I am off to knit Archie's other sleeve now. Wahoo (I mean it, that wasn't sarcasm).

Monday, February 1, 2010

First a splash of colour from around the house. Because I am now in the middle of knitting a jumper for Archie, I don't have huge amounts of home made things to show at the moment. Instead, a photo of my necklaces peeking out, enticing me to wear them. Max and the rabbit person patiently waiting for me to attach their sail. Max seems to show his emotions more than the rabbity person.

And some violently red play dough waiting to be mixed with a bit of white. I think if the red ball was to be consumed by a mouse they would end up dead with seven extra ears.

The perfect colour combination for making a strap on laser gun.

Nothing worse than being bitten by your own creation. Archie bravely soldiered on.

This play dough recipe is the best version I have come across so far. No cooking involved and with the cake mixer, super fast. It is from an oldish cook book called 'Pahoia People, Bring a Plate'.

3 cups flour

4 table spoons oil

3 cups boiling water

2 cups salt

4 teaspoons cream of tartar.

I throw them all (apart from the food colouring) into my Kenwood cake mixer. When thoroughly mixed and play doughy, I remove 2/3 and add one food colouring to the dough. Remove when mixed and put in another 1/3. Add a different colour and so on until finished. Ridiculously easy. If children and adults need calming down, add essential oil.

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About Me

I am an Australian living in New Zealand with my husband Jonno and children Archie and Hugo on a harbourside dairy farm. My great aunt and uncle taught me to embroider when I was eight and I have been obsessed with fabric and thread ever since. I now crochet, knit, paint, sew, print fabric, embroider, write and all sorts of other things that raises seratonin. I am also lucky enough to design projects for Simply Crochet UK . Thanks for stopping by!